A group of us sat around on New Year’s Eve and searched for a word. A word that would define and represent our goals for the coming year. A word that we could fall back upon to help put in perspective what we hoped to accomplish. Words from each of us bounced across the room, some with humor, others with resolution, and still more with hopeful expectation. My mind came alive with colorful words begging to be chosen: Purpose, Opportunity, Pursuit, Humility. I discarded each word almost as soon as they came, none of them maximized my vision for the year. Until, all at once, the perfect word burst from my lips.

BOLD.

I must admit that my word choice for the coming year instantly brought laughter from all sides of the room. I am a bold person by nature and everyone in that room knew it. I’m the person in the movie theater who insensitively cracks a joke at the saddest part in a movie; the person who bought a pair of high heels to prove she’s a grown up (thus increasing her height to 6′ 2″); the one who frequently smiles at and engages with strangers. I can admit my boldness in these areas, however, the kind of boldness I’m striving for is different. This year I want to LIVE bold.

The thing is, I am so tempted to seek God’s will in every tiny little detail of my life, afraid that I’m living my life separate from his will for me. But that should not be the case. As long as I am daily surrendering my life and my dreams, my heart and my talents to God, then I shouldn’t be afraid. As 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” God has a wonderful plan for me that I need to trust. For me, the word BOLD means I’m going to seize the day and be open to opportunities that come my way, instead of worrying about whether I’m adequate or not.

This year I resolve to be bold in sharing my talents. There is a parable in the Bible about three men who were each given various numbers of talents. The first two men took their talents and doubled them, while the third hid his talents due to his fear and feeling of inadequacy. To this unfortunate man, the only thing he earned was a rebuke from the giver and the stripping away of the one talent he had been entrusted with. The giver turned around and gave the wicked man’s talent to one who would make use of it (Matthew 25: 14-30).

Unlike the third man in the parable of the talents, I resolve to cultivate my talents this year. To purposefully and boldly go out and make something of them, instead of sitting on my hands in fear. The key verse, in the parable of Matthew 25, which was spoken to the faithful men who cultivated their talents, is found in verse 21.

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

I pray that this will be true in my life as I head into the year two thousand and nineteen. To put my talents to use and to lift others up so they can shine their talents. To conclude, I’m listing my top ten BOLD resolutions for 2019

1. Listen to Christian music at work
2. Dare to get my screenwriting published
3. Be positive when frustrating things happen at work
4. Read the Bible through in a year
5. Go to the gym consistently, even if it means going alone sometimes
6. Learn how to make French Macarons, even though I have failed every time
7. Persist through playing the piano even though it often seems pointless
8. Write a poem every week to hone my writing muscles
9. Plan a coffee date with someone who needs company
10. GROW IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST (2 Peter 3: 18).